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Riley, my golden oldie SM dog

Riley will be 11 in 2 weeks and she is just brimming with life. I'm writing this to remind everyone that even though SM is horrible, it is not necessarily a death sentence. Riley had her surgery 5+ years ago. She still has days (almost every day actually) in which she loses her balance and falls splat on all fours, but it doesn't faze her and she gets up as soon as she can. She can't jump anymore at all. She still hides under tables and chairs to get away from my rambunctious 6 year old tri, but then she'll come out and cuddle with him. She watches tv and is the first to jump up, run to the tv and bark at any animal she sees. She loves going for walks - and she can walk for a long time, she loves racing around in the yard (we have over an acre fenced in), she's usually the last one in because she's hunting chipmunks, she doesn't seem to sleep as deeply as Oliver who is 12+ or even Madison who will be 10 in September. She is always ready to go. She's the first to greet me when I come in the door. I guess this post is just a celebration of her amazing life - as an SM dog and as an oldie. I never thought she'd still be around this long, but she has defied my expectations. Keep going Riley, you are amazing!!!

Really wonderful to read this Bev, thank you for sharing. My own boy sadly had just 10 months following his decompression surgery [initially very successful] and was PTS at 3, so it's lovely to hear of Cavaliers doing so well post op and obviously enjoying a good quality of life.

It's lovely for me to read that there are others doing as well as my boy Rebel too. Belated birthday wishes Riley and many more to come I hope.

Rebel will be 11 in November, was diagnosed by MRI when he was a young stripling of 6 and remained asymptomatic until a couple of years ago, when it all started with dramatic howling and screaming. He lost mobility too and had to suffer the indignity of being taken to see the vet in the buggy. He screamed and barked all the way. Then he was started on meds, which have increased and been added to along the way, which have made him into an outwardly normal boy with the energy and pesonality of a dog half his age - appetite to match too, rueful smile.

There is hope out there and while I am so truly sorry to hear about the dogs who couldn't be helped, let the outwardly fit and happy ones serve as a memorial to them and a lesson to all who despair for the future of our lovely breed.

My Oliver is 12 and was diagnosed with CM/SM when he was 6 but with hindsight showed symptoms from a much earlier age. No-one meeting him would know that he has such a serious disease;he is well controlled with medication, is a bit wobbly on his back legs, but enjoys life - especially walks and food! CM/SM is such an individual condition; Oliver has a small syrinx but dilated ventricles gave him lots of headaches before we found a drug that could help. Others have larger syrinxes causing terrible pain - it's almost a matter of luck what the owners have to deal with.